Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-01-05
Gte Cai,faster Jntelliqentey
LANCAsTER. JANUARY S, 1887.
Governor Pattison's Last Message.


Governor Pattison closes his series of
annual communications to the legislature
with message rich in recommendations and
suggestions as to matters that ought to
claim the attention of the la"~-making
power. The governor does well in putting
before the people the salient measures of
the slow policy he has pursued, even though
bis words, addressed to the legislature, fall
there upon stony ground, as there is too
much reason to fear that they will in
several matters Of supreme Importance.
For instance the governor asks the legisla.
ture to enact the legislation needed to
execute the seventeenth article of the con-
stitution. This hss been for twelve years
q neglected duty and is likely to continue
80 while the Republican party is in the
majority in the legislature. That party in
Penns ylvania is thoroughly under
the control of bosses who are the
hirelings of corporate wealth and
its recent successes in electing Quay, the
chiefest and worst ringleader, by the popu-
lar vote, to be state treasurer, as stepping
stone to the United States Senate and in
choosing Beaver, a ring creature, to be
governor, have so established the apparent
strength of the party under the domina-
tiol it endures, and the record of corpora
tion subseryieney it bears, that its legisla-
ture may be expected to continue to disre-
gard its duty to execute the constitution.
And its governor and attorney general
may be expected to smother the inquiry
which Governor Pattison and his attorney
general have instituted into the legality of
the railroad pool for freight rates. Cover
nor Pattison declares that the question
should be settled as to whether railroad
companies have the right TO combine to
raise the price of commodities above their
natural price, as they do in raising their
carrying charges; and he reminds the
legislature that combinations to raise
the price of articles has been de-
clared unlawful from time immemorial.
These words will fall on stony ground.
Other suggestions Of the message not tread
ing upon corporation toes, may obtain
more attention. The recommendation that
the tax laws be revised is one that the leg.
islature can hardly fail to consider, since
the inequality of these laws is a matter so
obvious and of such universal complaint.
The recommendation that the income from
tavern licenses be remitted to the counties,
is one of such clear force that we may rea-
sonably expect it to be adopted.
The governors remarks upon the condi-
tion Of the state and private banks, will
excite interest. There are eighty-one state
banks and two hundred and sixty-six pri-
vate banks. The state banks show very
small amount of available assets compared
with their deposits, and one-fifth of them
pay no dividends. There are only forty-one
private banks that return an annual in
come of ten thousand dollars TWENTY
nine return none at all and forty-four re-
turn less than five hundred dollars. This
showing ought certainly to induce the leg
islature to put the state and private banks
under such system of examination as
will expose their solvency.
The governor strongly urges greater re-
striction upon the sale of Intoxicating
liquors in which lie unquestionably repre-
sents the feeling of the state.
1t is subject which is likely TO
disturb the legislature, and which the gov
ernor may be expected to view from a
temperance standpoint.
The governor states the soldiers orphan
phan school case, and tells how he dis
missed the negligent officers, and how be
tried to get rid of their head, whom he
says he had reappointed to be superin-
tendent of schools before he found out his
incompetency.
The geological commission, he says, has
cost the state already million of dollars
and there is no telling where the cost is to
end, as the commission is deathless and
law unto itself. He thinks IL
should be abolished and the COM
pletion of the survey be COM
mitted to the geologist and his assistants,
1t is a wise recommendation. The com
mission has been wholly valueless. The
survey has not given value for the million
dollars expended. Its voluminous publica-
tons have generally been i'll digested and
superficial notes, simply recording what has
been long known and adding little to our
knowledge. If the survey is to be contin.
ued, 1t ought to be placed in more vigorous
and competent hands.